Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-02-12
CHAPTER IL
1t was o warm evening.


The sanGuine old gentleman and myself
were seated on the front verlnda, watching
the lanterns as they went dancing in and
out among the rock-now seen flashing for
an instant, and the next obscured-when
We were startled by distant shouts, and
the rapid movements of one of the lanterns
in the direction of the hotel. The rest were
advancing in body, and at II more sober
pace.
The several inmates of the hotel who
had not gone with the party on the search,
being appraised by the shouting that some
discovery had been made, had now gathered
on the veranda III eager expectation.
They were not, however, kept long in
suspense, for the man with the foremost
lantern soon made his appearance, pale,
out of breath, and with horror as unmis-
takably dep cted on his face as if the word
had been printed all over it i'll staring capt.
tails.
I'VE have found him. cried the man,
pressing his hand on his stomach to re-
cover breath; but he is dead-somebody
has gone and murdered HIM"
The declaration fe | on rs like an cleo
tric shock, and the Ii tie group stood gazing
at one another il horritied astonishmens.
"Murdered!" "Murdered!" was the only
exclamation that escaped us.
1eS-anQ ROBBED. returned our IN
formant, with shudder.
In a few moments the rest of the party
appeared bearing the remains of the I'M
fortunate Nixon. A brief examination
satisfied us that the skull had been frac-
tuted in three places; but there being no
coroner as yet in the city of Greenb)r DO
one OF the men had to be dispatched TO the
next town TO procure one.
| saw Griffith take the man aside and in
st1uct him to procure warrant for the
arrest of Warner, and place it in the hands
of the Deputy Sheriff, who resid I'd in the
same town. He was tie last man known
10 be with him" SAID he. and, from bis
own admission, he brought back money
Let him disenangle himself from the chain
of rcumstances if he can. l am sure |
hope he can'
AS for myself, l did not think Warner
was any more 4uilty of tue murder than l
was, and the moment | could do SO l ac-
quninted him with what was on foot.
"My God!' he exclaimed, what shall !
do?"
He was as pal as ghost. l never saw
man so completely unnerved on the instant
in nv Ii e.
] advised him to stay and run the risk of
trial. There was no other alternative; for,
should he attempt TO fly from his persecut-
ors, that fact would be arrayed against him
in evidence of his guilt.
He was still feeble from the eff cts of his
recent illness, and fear wrought up his
imagination to the higl pitch.
81 know they VII hang me, these merci-
less bloodhounds, if III y can but find the
shadow of preteXt for doing it; Yet God
knows | have not the strength TO kill man
ii had the disposition"
7 told him, 7 haliaya6 him, oo1
would stand by him to the last; and the
sanguine old gentleman, who was stand
ing near, promised to do the same.
With the Coroner cam, the Sheriff, and
after the verdict, which was that Nixon
came TO his death from blows dealt upon
the head by some person orpersons to them
unknown, Warner was taken into custody
and carried to n town about twenty miles
farther down, where he was lodged in Jail
to await his trial at the next term of the
county court, which would sit in about a
week.
At the proper time the case came up. but
in spite of all we could do, the Jury found
q verdict of guilty chiefly on the ground
that the prisoner was the last person known
to be in company with the murdered man.
He was accord ngly sentenced to be exc
cued outside the jail-yard in just three
weeks from the day of the trial. / will not
attempt to depict the agony and excitement
of the prisoner on becoming fully con-
scious of the awful doom that so speedily
awaited him. When lie was about being
removed from the court house, he grasped
me by the hand, and said, 81 told you it
would be so. / knew they would hang me
if they could get up any pretext for
doing it,"
| tried to console him the best way l
could, for the trial had tended to strength
en-, rather than weaken, my belief in his
innocence, and 1 earnestly hoped that
something might yet come to pass that
would save him. did not see him from
that time until the day appointed for his
execution.
CHAPTER Ill
10.